Conveyer pole for drying machines and the like



May 11, 1937.

T. ALLSOP ET AL CONVEYER POLE FOR DRYING MACHINES AND/THE LIKE! Filed April 11. 1954 IN VEN. TORS 7W6 H1150 13 WflEarW mg WWGNWM m QENRN QMW 5.05m

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYER POLE FOR DRYING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Application April 11, 1934, Serial No. 720,028

11 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyer poles useful more particularly in connection with textile drying machines and the like wherein continuous fabric or sheet material is supported in festoons 5 incident to progression through the machines for drying or other treatment.

The general practice heretofore has been to construct such conveyer poles with axial core members usually of tubing or piping, and with split coverings or jackets of wood consisting of two half-round one-piece sections of a length equal substantially to that of the core members, which sections were secured to said core members either by transverse fastening devices, or by recessed. circumferential bands of wire or tape metal at suitable intervals lengthwise of the pole. Due to twists and other irregularities or changes in the direction in the grain of the wood, these relatively long half-round jacket sections invariably become warped, distorted and misshapen and part at the joints, or they fracture and splinter in responding to expansion and contraction under the influence of moisture and heat, thereby presenting irregular surfaces for contact with the fabrics or sheets and causing streaking or other damage to them. Renewal of the deteriorated jackets was obviously expensive in that it entailed complete replacement of them.

In the main, our invention is directed toward overcoming the several drawbacks which have just been pointed out. This desideratum we secure in practice by constructing the jacketing of the poles from relatively short-length cylindric sections, which, when assembled on the axial core member and abutted end to end, provide a continuous flush and smooth surface for contact with the fabric. Due to being tubular in form, the jacket sections are inherently strong and therefore highly resistive to fracture or distortion un- 40 der the action of moisture or heat. Another advantage of our invention is that any sections which have become deteriorated after long continued service can be readily replaced without necessitating renewal of the jacketing as a whole.

Another aim of our invention is to provide for maintaining the jacket sections of the poles assembled in closely abutted relation on the core members and at the same time permit lengthwise expansion and contraction of the jacket as required.

Our invention is further directed toward improved construction of conveyer poles of the kind referred to wherein insulating air spaces are provided within the poles along the metallic core members with a View toward preventing direct conduction of heat from said core member to the jacketing and thereby reducing the deteriorating effect caused by extremes of temperature.

Still other objects and attendant advantages will be manifest from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing.

Fig. I is a broken-out view, partly in elevation and partly in axial section, of a conveyer pole conveniently showing one embodiment of our invention.

Fig. II is a cross sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows 11-11 in Fig. I.

Figs. III and IV are fragmentary views corresponding to Fig. I of modified forms of the jacketed type of conveyer pole.

With detailed reference first to the embodiment of our invention delineated in Figs. I and II, the metallic core member of the pole is indicated at E5, while the non-metallic jacketing of said pole is comprehensively designated by the numeral Is. As ordinarily, the core member I5 is formed from tubing or piping, and, as shown, said core member projects beyond the jacketing I6 at opposite ends of the pole to afford trunnions capable of being rotatively engaged in lateral bearing sockets on spaced links of laterally-spaced conveyer chains, not illustrated. The pole may also be used with conveyer chains having lateral studs to engage the hollows f the core member 15 at opposite ends. which the pole may receive journal support for free rotation on the conveyer chains.

In accordance with our invention, the jacketing I6 is made up of a number of relatively short length tubular cylindric unitary sections l1, l8

and I9 which are preferably fashioned from wood, although fiber or other non-metallic material may be employed in their construction if expedient. The internal diameter of the jacket sections lli9, it will be particularly observed, is larger than the external diameter of the core member I with resultant provision of circumferential air spaces 20 internally of the pole within the confines of said sections and around said core member. The ends of the tubular jacket sections l'l-I9 are axially recessed as at 2| and 22. The recesses 2| at the junctures between adjacent jacket sections ll, l8 and I8, I9

There are thus two ways in jointly form annular hollows to snugly accommodate collars 23 of a corresponding diameter, said square cut ends of adjacent jacket sections i1, i8 and 18, I9, as shown in Fig. I. The function of the collars 23 is to support and maintain the jacket sections lll9 in true coaxial relation with the core member 15. The position of the jacketing l6 on the core member I is determined by a metallic collar 24 secured, with provision for adjustment, to said core member somewhat inward of its left hand end (as considered in Fig. I), by means or" a set screw 25. The collar 24 is illustrated as having teeth 26 for coaction with suitable racks along the path of the conveyer and consequent impartation of rotary movement to the pole in a known manner. As shown, the collar 2&- is further provided at its inner side with an axial boss 21 to fit the recess 21 in the contiguous end of the jacket section H. The axial recess 22 in the jacket section l9 at the opposite end of the pole is considerably deeper than the recesses 2 I, and, as shown, houses a helical spring 28 which is in compression between the shoulder 29 of the recess 22 and another collar 30 adjustably set on the core member l5. With the described arrangement it will be apparent that the spring 28 serves to maintain the jacket sections l'il9 in close end contact, one with another, and the jacket It, as a whole, in firm end contact with the toothed collar 24, while allowing endwise expansion of the sections under the action of moisture and heat. The spacing collars 23 may be solid in cross section, or they may be internally notched or longitudinally grooved as at 3! in Fig. II for continuous communication between the circumferential airspaces 26 Within the sections l'il9.

By virtue of the sectional construction of the jacket 16, the strains induced by action of moisture and heat will be locally confined and not transmitted throughout the length of the jacket it as was the case with conveyer poles constructed as heretofore. Furthermore, due to the integral formation of the jacket sections l'i-i9 as complete tubes (as distinguished from the split two piece formation of ordinary conveyer pole jacketing), said sections are more highly resistive to distortion and strain notwithstanding unevenness or twist in the grain of the wood composing them, and therefore less likely to. fracture incident to expansion and contraction. Moreover, due to the circumferential insulating air spaces 20, the jacketing I6 is protected against heat which would otherwise be directly conducted to it from the metallic core member 15, with the result that deterioration of the jacket sections l--l from temperature changes is reduced to a minimum. The sectional construction of the jacketing H5 is further advantageous, since, in the event that any one of the sections I'! l9 should, after long service, become distorted or fractured to the extent of causing streaks or marks on the material hung on the pole, it can be readily replaced without requiring renewal of the jacketing l6 as a Whole, maintenance costs being thereby very greatly reduced with corresponding increase in the efficiency of the drying machine.

In the modified form of pole shown in Fig. III, the spacing collars 23a are provided with lateral annular flanges 32 to opposite sides of a central circumferential flange, said annular flanges constituting rests for the contiguous ends of adjacent jacket sections ila, 18a and serving to maintain said sections coaxial with the core member Wu. The abutting ends of the jacket sections Ila and 5811, instead of being cut square as in Fig. I, are

complementarily beveled. If desired, the collar 2311 may be internally notched like the collar 23 of Figs. I and II for the purposes of communication between the insulating air spaces 20a.

In the modification of Fig. IV, the external diameter of the spacing collar 23b corresponds exactly to that of the jacket sections I'ib and i822; and said collar is formed with beveled recesses 36 in its opposite side faces, to receive the complementarily beveled ends of the jacket sections I'ib, lab. In addition to holding the jacket sections lib and 18b coaxial with the core member 51) with the insulating air spaces 20?) intervening, the spacing collar 2% imposes restraint against circumferential expansion of the ends of said sections.

While we have herein illustrated and described the several forms of our novel conveyer poles as being of circular cross section, obviously they can be made to polygonal cross section without departing from the spirit of our invention. The term cylindric as used in the appended claims is therefore to be considered as comprehensive of any modifications of the cross sectional configuration of the poles.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A conveyer pole for drying machines and the like comprising a number of cylindric unitary sections of non-metallic material arranged end to end; interengaging collars uniting the several sections in axial alignment; and means to hold the sections assembled against endwise separation.

2. A conveyer pole for drying machines andthe like comprising a number of cylindric sections of non-metallic material arranged end to end; interengaging notched-collars at the junctures of the sections for determining axial alignment between them and for preventing relative rotation; and means to hold the sections assembled against endwise separation.

3. A conveyer pole for drying machines or the like comprising a number of cylindric sections of non-metallic material arranged end to end; interengaging internally-grooved collars at the junctures of the sections determining axial alignment between them; and means cooperating with the endmost sections to hold the series assembled against separation.

4. A conveyer pole for drying machines or the like, comprising an axial core member; and a non-metallic jacket surrounding said core member with provision of a circumferential airspace, said jacket being composed of a number of tubular sections arranged end to end and supported coaxially of the core member by longitudinally-grooved interengaging collars.

5. A conveyer pole for drying machines or the like comprising an axial core member; a nonmetallic. coaxial jacket surrounding the core member with position of an intervening circumferential air-space, said jacket being composed of a number of aligned tubular sections, said sections having an internal diameter larger than the diameter of the core member, and collars having internal longitudinal grooves interengaging the section confronting ends.

6. A conveyer pole for drying machines or the iike comprising an axial core member; a nonmetallic jacket surrounding said core member with provision of a circumferential air-space, said jacket being composed of a number of tubular sections; and internally-grooved spacing collars surrounding the core member and engaging opposing annular recesses in the confronting ends of contiguous jacket sections.

7. A conveyer pole for drying machines or the like comprising an axial core member; a nonmetallic jacket surrounding said core member with provision of a circumferential air-space, said jacket being composed of a number of tubular cylindric sections disposed end to end and having an internal diameter larger than the diameter of the core member; and spacing collars fitting the core member and engaging opposing recesses in the ends of contiguous jacket sections, said spacing collars having internal circumferential notches rendering the aforesaid air space continuous throughout the length of the pole.

8. A conveyer pole for drying machines and the like comprising an axial core member; a nonmetallic cylindric jacket surrounding the core member; a collar secured to the core member adjacent one end thereof for abutment of the corresponding end of the jacket; a helical spring surrounding the core member within an axial the core member at the corresponding end thereof; a helical spring surrounding the core member within an axial end hollow in the other endmost jacket section of the series, said spring being in compression between an annular shoulder of the hollow and another collar affixed to the core member and operative to maintain the jacket sections closely engaged with each other and with the collar first mentioned.

10. A conveyer pole for drying machines and the like comprising a number of cylindric sections of non-metallic material arranged enclto end; interengaging collars at the junctures of the sections determining axial alignment between them; and an axial member with adjustable means to hold the sections assembled against endwise separation, said means also serving to set apart journal sections at opposite ends of the pole.

11. A conveyer pole for drying machines and the like comprising a number of tubular onepiece sections of non-metallic material arranged end to end; interengaging internally-grooved collars at the junctures of the sections determining axial alignment between them; a tubular axial member with adjustable collars to hold the sections against endwise separation and also set apart terminal sections of the roll at its opposite ends as journals therefor; and one of the collars at one end of the pole embodying a gear means for rotating said pole.

THOMAS ALLSOP. WALTER W. SIBSON. 

